“You have an artists temperament”

My mum has always said this to me and I know what she’s saying in her kind and careful way. I’m a grumpy little sod.

Well I can be, I’ll admit it. Having a creative side can also give way to an inner rage when things go wrong.

I’m not often prone to public displays of fury but save that for shouting at my laptop or printer when they are slow, which is generally relocated anger from someone shouting at me earlier that day.

Sometimes, and I’ll use these last few weeks as a case in point, the world seems to be putting a succession of petty little mini roadblocks in my way which culminate in me walking around like a bomb waiting to go off.

A few unruly customers here, problems with copyright on my artwork there.. you’ve only got to read my last few blog posts to see that slowly my fuse was being lit and I was getting close to exploding. 

At these points there are two options available to me:

1. Go all-out Michael Douglas in Falling Down, grab a rocket launcher and attack some drug dealers.

2. Read the Abide Guide.

Option 1 is ok but a bit messy. Plus I don’t have a rocket launcher and am not entirely sure where you find drug dealers in Kent. Boots chemists maybe?

So as always, option 2, The Abide Guide


The Abide Guide is a book written by Oliver Benjamin and Dwayne Eutsey and is one of many created for Dudeism, a religion that certainly doesn’t take itself seriously; something all other religions should think about. All the best things in life are those created with humour in mind.

Dudeism is a belief system invented by Oliver Benjamin and is based on living your life in the style of The Dude from The Big Lebowski. So generally taking it easy, not worrying about the future and accepting others for the way they are. Nothing wrong with that. Plus they support getting drunk, taking long baths and bowling which are some of my favourite things.

My Abide Guide is now like a worn out old sock, as it’s been read and re-read in those times when the world feels like it’s spinning out of control.. and boy does it work.

This has given way to me producing my little Ruminations of a Dudeist Cartoonist  cartoon strips.


So for now I’m channeling that inner dude in defence against petty woes.

I once saw a play on the words of Samuel L Jackson from Pulp Fiction with a Lebowski spin that pretty much sums up my outlook on life;

“Right now I’m Walter. But I’m trying man, I’m trying real hard to be the dude.”

Not seen The Big Lebowski and/or Pulp Fiction this this won’t make one bit of sense but for those that have maybe you’d like to check out Dudeism, it really ties the room together.